Process of treating cloth



30, 1947. a} P. MONSAERT, 5 2,433,520

- rnocsss 0F TREATING CLOTH Filed June 28, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 3 INVENTOR.

.R/ichard flflonsaefffi JMW ATTORNEYS 194T R. P. MONSAERT, SR 2,433,620

PROCESS OF TREATING CLOTH Filed June 28, 1944. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- Ricfzard R Monsan-fiSn ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1947 PROCESS OF TREATING CLOTH Richard P. Monsaert, Sr., Paterson, N. J., assignor to United Merchants & Manufacturers, Inc.,

Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application June 28, 1944, Serial No. 542,572

4 Claims. (Cl. 195-8) This invention relates to a process of treating cloth and to the cloth produced by the process. The invention will be described in its application to light suiting material containing artificial fibres, but it is of much wider application, being applicable to cloth of varied composition which is designed for the very widest uses.

Cloth made from artificial fibres such'as re-' generated cellulose and cellulose acetate has characteristics of coolness and light weight which fit it for use as suiting material for summer suits. The usual process of making such cloth from staple fibres is, in brief, to spin a thread from the staple fibres, size it, weave it into cloth, boil the cloth in an aqueous bath containing a size remover, boil it in a soap or other detergent solution to remove the freed particles of size and pieces of dirt, and to rinse it. The cloth so produced shows a. change in dimensions, for example, a piece containing 50% regenerated cellulose and 50% cellulose acetate staple fibres in the warp and 75% regenerate cellulose and 25% cellulose acetate in the filling, when treated by the regular process shrank 5% in the warp and increased .2% in the filling, while the area was reduced from 100 to 95.2%. The weight in ounces per square yard increased very little, from 6.60 ounces per square yard to 6.62 ounces per square yard. There was no improvement in crease resistance, Such cloth wrinkles so badly, and is .of such relatively light and transparent texture, that its de-,

sirable qualities are outweighed. Distinct openings, visible under a magnifying glass or even to the eye, are left between the warp and filling threads, and the threads have a glossy sheen, even when delustered, which is inferior to the matte appearance of wool. As a result, only unsatisfactory suitings have been made of this material.

Heretofore it has been proposed to overcome these disadvantages by impregnating the cloth with a solution of a synthetic resin which, upon evaporation, leaves the fibres coated with the resinous material. That treatment, although successful in its main objects, is expensive, raises the price of the treated cloth, and has certain disadvantages which need not beset forth here.

It is an object of this invention to improve the characteristics of cloth composed of or comprising regenerated cellulose and cellulose acetate.

Another object of the invention is to improve cloth containing other artificial fibres which are insoluble in water, and to improve cloth containing more or less cotton. Another object of the invention is to improve the crease resistance, the feel, the density, the texture. and the appearance of such types of cloth. It is another object of the invention to attain the objects of this invention without the addition of foreign substances to the cloth.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the specification.

The objects of the invention are accomplished generally speaking by subjecting the fabric to a tumbling and beating action in an aqueous solution of a diastatic substance such as a starch hydrolyzing agent or other size removing substance, to a tumbling and beating action in an that at which the fibres are adversely afiected or the size remover rendered inefiective.

A particwar phase of my invention concerns cloth composed of mixed regenerated cellulose and cellulose acetate fibres but the process is applicable with equal success to cloth containin many kinds of mixed fibres such as cellulose acetate and cotton, cotton and regenerated cellulose, and even to cloth composed of a single unmixed type of fibre. In some instances, a proportion of silk has been in cloth which has been successfully treated. Thefull advantages of the invention are obtained only on cloth made from strands composed of short fibres such as staple artificial fibres and cotton, but a few advantages of the treatment can be observed in cloth composed of continuous filaments, although the efiect upon such cloth made from continuous filaments, is not equivalent to the effect of the process upon cloth made from staple fibres and the like.

My new process, as applied to the treatment of sized cloth, is carried out in a rotary machine similar in construction to that which is employed 3 is intcriorly provided with projecting baffles against which the cloth is beaten.

The apparatus is supplied with an adequate amount of a bath containing a size removing agent called a dlastatic substance, which in the case of a starch size, may be an enzyme containing substance such as Diastofor." The cloth is unreacd from its bolt and allowed to lie freely in the cylinder. The apparatus ls-then closed and the cylinder is rotated for a period of time and at a temperature sufllcient to accomplish the detachmcnt of the size from the fibres. In the case of this particular starch removing agent, a satisfactory temperature is about 140 F. and a sat isfactory time of treatment is twenty minutes. Cloth sized with gelatin, glue, and sulfonated tallow, has also been successfully treated, using agents such as dilute caustic soda, soap, water, and various proprietary products.

'lhe iirst bath is removed and is replaced by an aqueous detergent solution such as soap and water, which removes the dislodged sizing and the dirt which is in the cloth. The tumbling and beating action is continued in this step of the process at an elevated temperature, which may approach boiling but may satisfactorily be carried out at about 140 F. for about twenty minutes.

The detergent solution is drawn oil and fresh water, preferably warm, is run in and the cloth is subJcctcd to a tumbling and beating action in the ire-sh water, which removes residues of soap and the like and serves as a rinse.

In all the steps of the process the temperature used is described as warm, by which term is meant any temperature below boiling which does not damage the cloth or stop the action of the size removing agent. The treatment is carried out, frequently, until no further'change in the cloth is produced by further treatment. In cases where fibres of extreme tenderness constitute a portion of the cloth, it is advisable to stop the treatment before those fibres are harmed.

It will be understood, that cloth is made of a very great variety of fibres in almost infinite percentage mixtures, and that it will be necessary for each type of cloth to receive some variation in treatment due to its particular constitution. However, the variables are simple and can be manipulated with good success by persons skilled in the art.

The invention will be further described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 shows an elevational view of apparatus for practicing the method of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a perspective and diagrammatic view thereof, the outer shell being shown in phantom to show the inner shell more clearly;

Fig. 3 shows a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a conventional staple synthetic yarn; and

Fig. 5 shows the same yarn after treatment according to the present invention, and indicates one effect which is produced by the invention.

The apparatus includes a stationary cylindrical housing or drum I, within which is rotatably mounted a drum 2 comprising end walls 3 and 3A and a perforated cylindrical surface 4. The inner drum is divided into three compartments by diaphragms 5 and 8, each compartment being provided with a door 1 provided with a handle IA. through which to charge the fabric to be treated. The inner drum is mounted on trunnions 8 passing through and supported in suitable hubs or bearings 9 mounted on the end walls of the outer drum, to which trunnions are attached large gear wheels I 0 which mesh with smaller gears ll, one of which in turn meshes with a pinion gear i2 mounted on a shaft I3 connected by the coupling [4 to the driving shaft [5 of a motor i6 which is so equipped that it will rotate a predetermined number of revolutions in one direction and is then reversed and rotates in the opposite direction. The specific mechanism for this reversal is well known and need not be described. The bearings 9 are supported by upright standards or brackets 20, which also support bearings 2| in which is rotatably mounted the shaft 22 to whichthe gears I l are secured. The upright brackets 20 also support a horizontal platform 23, on which are mounted the motor 18 and the brackets 24, 25 carrying bearings 26, 21 in which is mounted the shaft l3 to which the pinion i2 is secured. The cylindrical surface of the outer drum has doors I8, which, in co-operation with the doors I on the inner drum, provide for charging the fabric and removing it. Legs 32 support the apparatus. Four bars or bailies 30 are mounted longitudinally and from one end wall 3 to the other end wall 3A of the rotatable drum. These bars may be mounted, as shown, at positions located equi-angularly about the interior circumference of the rotatable drum. The outer drum may be filled about halffull with a desired solution-as, for example, a 6% aqueous solution of any suitable diastatic preparation. bucn preparations are well imown in the textile industry and the specific composition thereof need not be described.

In carrying out the process with a fabric containing starch, a piece of the fabric which may have a length of 60 to yards and awidth of about one yard, is placed loosely in each of the compartments in the inner drum, the outer drum being about half full of the solution above mentioned. The solution is then heated to about F., e. g., by means of a steam coil and the inner drum is rotated first in one direction and then in the other for about twenty minutes. During this treatment the fabric is subjected to a tumbling and beating action, the tumbling being efiected by the motion of the drum and the beating being effected by the impact of the fabric on the longitudinal bars 30. a

At the end of this operation the solution containing the starch hydrolytic agent is drawn off through a drain pipe, not specifically shown, and is replaced by a dilute detergent solution-e. g., one containing about 1% of soap or other detergent. The operation is then repeated for about the same period. Thereafter the fabric is rinsed in fresh water and is removed from the apparatus. It is in suitable condition for any desired subsequent treatment-e. g., bleaching, and dyeing.

The effect of the process upon one type of goods, and to some extent the nature of the goods produced by the process, can be comprehended by reference to the following table. The test was carried out on the type of goods called Frostpoint. Lot #2 of this material was divided and half left in greige and the other half was treated according to the process of this invention. In order to average the goods, a sample was taken from each end and one from the middle of each of the divisions.

Another sample of the same material called #9 was similarly divided, one half being given the regular finish and the other half left in greige.

The construction, count, thickness, weight per running yard, weight per square yard, density, and crease resistance were measured on the sam- 6 .and an improvement over any cloth of similar constitution known to theprior art.

The process can be applied to unsized cloth. This treatment is carried out by soaping or treat- 5 ing with other detergents, and by rinsing while bles taken: subjecting the cloth to the tumbling and beating Table Weight, oz. Thick- Werp Density Width Picks per ness in Ends per Per Grams inches inch inch 1000 s of Rum Per per cm! an inch nmg Sq Yard Yard Piece #2 in grelge:

End 42. 3 58.0 42. 7 7. 82 6.66 441 Middle- 42.3 58. 3 42.7 19.37 7. 77 6. 62 454 End 42.3 58.0 43.0 20.06 7. 75 6. 60 438 Average 42. 3' 58. 1 42.8 7. 78 6. 63 445 Piece #2 New Process:

End 39.1 63.0 46 4 21. 66 8.07 7. 45 457 Middle 39. 63. 2 48.0 22.03 8. ll 7. 48 452 nd 38. 9 63.0 46. 2 21. 93 8.08 7. 48 4.56 Average 39.0 63. l 46. 2 21. 87 8. 09 7. 47 .455

Average 42.4 57. 8 42. 7 20. 36 7. 77 6. 60 432 42. l 58. 0 45. 8 10. 69 7. 82 6. 69 454 42. 6 57.9 43; 8 19.83 7. 7O 6. 51 436 42. 6 57, 8 45. 8 20. i5 7. 98 6. 74 445 Average 42. 4 57. 9 45. 0 19. 66 7. 80 6. 62 445 The regular finish produced a 5% dimensional change in the warp, whereas the new process produced a 7.5% change. In the filling the regular finish showed little change but the new process produced a change of 7.9%. In area the new process produced a 10% greater change than the regular process. The new process produced an increase in weight of 12.5%, whereas the regular process produced an increase of only 0.3%. The crease resistance of the greige was not improved by the regular process but was materially improved by the new process.

The cloth produced by this new process is different in appearance and quality from any cloth of similar fibre content known to the prior art. When folded and crushed under a weight, this cloth does not form sharp permanent creases, but

tends to resist creasing and rather to form soft full folds. The feel of the cloth is softer and more like the feel of wool than the feel of the untreated material. The density of the new cloth is greater than that of the untreated cloth and greater than that of identical cloth treated by the regular process. The texture of the cloth treated by the new process is better than the texture of the untreated cloth or of the cloth treated by the regular process. The apertures in the cloth are filled with interlaced fibres, whereas in the untreated cloth the apertures, according to the nature of the weave, are much more open. The cloth prepared according to the new process has a different appearance than any cloth of similar constitution known to the prior art. Its surface has a misty, matte appearance similar to that of good woolen cloth and apparently for a similar reason, namely, that there is a fine mist formed on the surface of the cloth by the loose and matted ends of fibres. All of these charactertreatment even though no sizing is present.

istics together constitute a material different from 76 As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that it is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Process of treating starch-sized fabric composed of cellulose acetate and regenerated cellulose staple fibers to remove the size and at the same time to improve its resistance to creasing which comprises subjecting the fabric to a tumbling and beating action in an aqueous bath containing a small amount of a diastatic material at about F. and for a period of about 20 minutes, then subjecting the fabric to a tumbling and beating action in a warm aqueous detergent solution, thereafter subjecting said fabric to a tumbling and beating action in warm water and recovering as a result of the foregoing steps a fabric of improved resistance to creasing.

2. Process of removing the size and coincidently improving the crease resistance of a sized, lightweight suiting fabric composed of cellulose acetate and regenerated cellulose staple fibers which comprises subjecting the fabric to a tumbling and beating action in a warm aqueous bath containing a size-removing agent unitil the size is detached from the fibers, then subjecting the fabric to a tumbling and beating action in a warm aqueous detergent solution, thereafter subjecting said fabric to a tumbling and beating action in warm water, and recovering as a result of the foregoing steps a fabric of improved resistance to creasing.

3. Process of simultaneously removing the size and improving the crease resistance of a sized fabric composed of artificial staple fibers which comprises subjecting'the fabric to a tumblin and beating action in a warm aqueous bath containing a size-removing agent. then subjecting the fabric to a tumbling and beating action in a warm aqueous detergent solution, thereafter subjecting said fabric to a tumbling and beating action in warm water, and recovering as a result of the foregoing steps a fabric of improved resistance to creasing.

4. Process of coincidently removing the size from and improving-the crease resistance of a sized fabric composed of cellulose acetate and regenerated cellulose staple fibers which comprises beatin and tumbling the loose fabric in a warm aqueous solution of a diastatic size-removing ering the fabric, said fabric as a result of the foregoing treatment having a greater crease resistance than the untreated fabric.

RICHARD P. MONSAERT, Sn.

agent for a time suflicient to detach the size from the fibers of the fabric, then beating and tum- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,679,767 Gmincler Aug. 7. 1928 1,717,316 Heberlein June 11, 1929 1,717,992 Melliand June 18, 1929 1,722,171 Bassett July 23, 1929 1,825,178 Coghill Sept. 29,,1931 1,945,330 Nord Jan. 30, 1934 1,961,606 Elis June 5, 1934 1,986,945 Schwartz' Jan. 8, 1935 2,191,977 Schneider Feb. 27, 1940 2,211,841 Voegeii Aug, 20, 1940 2,325,544 Redman July 27, 1943 

